I used to start my compost pile with only a circular wire fencing. Residing in a townhouse community presents verbal comments from one neighbor about seeing rodents. (I don't think so, neighbor). So, this is what I been doing to avoid any alleged rodent sightings by my neighbor, who has a lawn and lovely flower gardens that she maintains to the point of discarding all yard refuse via our township program. A few years ago, I purchased an Earth Machine via our county recycling program for a discount. I start filling it with the usual veggie/fruit wastes, used coffee grounds, egg shells, leaves (whole & mulched), paper (brown, usually) in layers until it's completely full. Then, I pull off the whole EM container off the group with a small compost pile. Next, I surround that small compost pile with a larger circular fence section, fill the inside perimeter with leaves (whole & mulched), brown rolls of paper towers and toilet paper, ripped up paper egg cartons. So far, no rodent sightings have been reported. However, I don't believe there were any to begin with. BTW, it can be difficult to connect the top and bottom sections of the EM. Just takes some persistence and patience.

I bought my daughter a hanging flower arrangement kinda like that last summer. It hung verticaly and there were holes/slits cut in various places in the bag, this is where the petunias grew from. It was quite small when I bought it but as it grew and became fuller it looked like a solid masss of petunias. I have also seen it with moss roses as well as ivy geraniums. Cute idea.

i know very little about gardening, shrubs, or bushes, however we have a similar situation. we have a row of about 6 forsythias between our house & the neighbors & the area gets limited sunlight. the forsythias only bloom for a short period during the spring-summer and are naked the rest of the year. in addition, they do not get very full. i assume thats due to the lack of abundant sunlight. therefore, i would not recommend them for blocking out the neighbors based on my experience. do you want a low maintenance shrub or do you mind pruning? i believe most will take a few years to fully develop but you can buy some that are much fuller. i am interested in any suggestions you get. good luck!

Hi, I am new here, but I think I have found the right place to get advice for my problem neighbors.... I own a hous ein a neighborhood that is gentrifying, albeit slowly. The houses are mostly about 100 years old, small cottages built very, very close together- in some cases the roofs touch & my bedroom window is the property line. Most of the people on my street are either fixing up their houses or at least maintaining them- but immediately next door is a rent-to-own nightmare that has been a constant source of trouble for years. Currently there are 6 adults and 4 children (I think) living in what I know to be a one-bedroom house. There are an assortment of dogs as well, some chained, some loose, and the yard, front & back is full of garbage, dog poop, toys, seats from cars and just junk. There is a constant smell and constant screaming, usually obscenities at the kids who run around naked and play in the dog poop... They have poison ivy in their back yard which spills over the fence into mine. No matter what I do in my yard to combat it, they won't deal with it on their side so it keeps coming back. The house looks like it is falling into it's self- the roof is sagging, the walls appear to be caving in. The last time it was vacant, about 18 months ago, I looked inside and the ceiling was drooping down about 12 inches in the middle and the floor was all wavy.... And since there are kids in there, I worry about their safety. I'm wondering if any of you know what you would have to do to get a house condemned or if trying to do so is even a good idea... I've called the Health Department, Child Protective Services, the ASPCA and Code Compliance, but nothing seems to get done;. I'm at my wits end- and the rest of the block is too. If we could get the lot condemned, I might be willing to shell out the cash to have the house torn down- but I'd have to get it condemned first. Do any of you know anything about what makes a house condemnable and if it's able to be condemned while people are living in it? Once it's condemned, can it be un-condemned? A huge thank you!